Volcano Vaporizer Review

The Volcano is a shapely, brushed-metal marijuana vaporizer that is made by the German-based company Storz & Bickel. It looks like a little robot and costs about $539 (depending on the model purchased). It is perhaps the most well-known vaporizer on the market, but it is also the most expensive. I often get asked if it is worth the price. My answer is that if you can afford it you should get it, but if you can't, buy the Oxygen Mini.

The Volcano has a reputation that justifies its high price tag. Clinical studies indicate that the Volcano is extremely efficient at extracting THC from cannabis. Some studies suggest the Volcano can extract as much as 80% of the THC content from the plant, which is much higher than the 25% extracted from smoking a typical joint. Extra THC means a more potent "high." Plus, vaporizing doesn't produce the harmful carcinogens that are created by combustion so it is a lot healthier.

You will either love or hate the Volcano, I think. It depends on whether you like the delivery system (which involves inhaling vapors from a filled balloon). It also depends on whether you have enough supply to fill the chamber. The Volcano has a larger chamber than most "vapes." You have to plug the unit into an outlet, so you will be using it primarily indoors. Plus, it is not very portable, so if you do invest in the Volcano, you will need to buy a smaller vape for car trips.

To find out more, visit the Storz & Bickel website: Storz and Bickel

Vaporizing Marijuana is a More Potent way to Absorb the THC than Smoking

There are many different ways that medical marijuana can be injested - the most popular are smoking, eating, tincturing, and vaporizing. Out of all the methods, vaporization is the best way to unlock the potent, medicinal properties of cannabis.

The fact that marijuana is smoked has been an obstacle to its being approved as a medicine. Cannabis vaporization elimates the lung problems associated with smoking. The process involves heating the cured plant to a temperature where vapors are produced but combustion does not occur.

Vaporization results in a more effective delivery and potent intake of cannabanoids. A 2004 study comparing vaprization with smoking found that the combustion of cannabis resulted in the production of a hundred different chemicals that were not present when vaporizing. (Dale Gieringer, Efficient Delivery of THC with Effective Suppression of Pyrolytic Compounds, Journal of Cannabis Therapeudics, Vol.4(1) 2004.)


Many different types of vaporizers are currently popular. The best known and possibly most expensive is the $539 Volcano Vaporizer made by Storz & Bickel, a company based in Germany. The Volcano is powered by a ceramic heating unit and heat vent. Hot air blown through the vent heats cannabis which has been inserted into a chamber. The Volcano can recover about 50-80% of the THC present in a sample of marijuana.


For more information about vaporizer studies: http://www.maps.org/mmj/vaporizer.html